Around the Bend
by CNJ
Summary: Disillusioned with Starfleet interpersonal politics and game-playing, Beverly struggles with whether to retire early and start her own practice
1. Default Chapter

I have a bunch of Star Trek: The Next Generation fanfic, or pieces of it  
and here's one piece I have...Beverly Crusher's always been my fave, so  
most of this is from her POV. I'm not sure how long it'll be and I don't  
have all the plot ironed out, but I think Bev's a little disillusioned with  
a lot that's going on with Starfleet...  
  
Disclaimer: The characters Star Trek fans recognize belong to Paramount  
Pictures, NOT the current author.  
  
  
BEVERLY:  
I'm not sure when I found myself awake again. But I was staring at the  
ceiling that December on the third day of our Starfleet conference,  
thoughts going through my head like rapidly moving clouds. It was cold and  
windy. Feeling restless and a little nervous, I got up and wandered over to  
the window where I stared out at the snow. Our former Enterprise crew was  
together again for this week, then we'd go our separate ways. Over the  
years, the only ones I'd really kept in contact with was Deanna  
Troi, Guinan, and Jean Luc Picard. The others more or less just drifted  
apart. Now I stood here wondering if it was just me being too sensitive or  
did I sense tension and a competitiveness between Worf, Will Riker, and  
Data?  
  
"Hey, Beverly..." Deanna's voice drifted over. "Are you all right?"  
  
"What?" I spun around, startled. "Oh...yes, I guess I will be." Deanna sat  
up, her black curls falling over half of her face.  
  
"You seem troubled."  
  
"You know me well." I came over and sat on the edge of her bed. "I was just  
thinking about how stuff is with us...the former crew..."  
  
"I notice some things too," Deanna nodded. "I get the feeling Will and Worf  
think of Data as just an inferior pile of bolts while Data thinks of Will  
and Worf as show-offs."  
  
"You see it too," I drew in my breath and ran a hand through my straight  
red hair. "I thought maybe I was just being my usual oversensitive self and  
was seeing things that weren't there."  
  
"It's been there a long time," Deanna nodded. "Even in the days of the  
Enterprise. Remember when the Q became human for a while and was seriously  
hurt? Data was pissed off because he'd assaulted Geordi and thought that  
you should just let Q die. Then Will started criticizing Data and  
complaining about him being self-centered and everything. Then I said  
something to the effect that no one deserves to feel the way Data did and  
Will said something like Data did or asked for it or something."  
  
"I remember vaguely," I nodded. I did. I'd been trying to cure both Geordi  
and Q and was really upset. Will thought I should just let Q die since Q  
was kind of an unsavory character, using his supernatural powers to  
manipulate humans and all. The silly argument between Data and Will had  
upset me even more. I've never supported the death penalty for even the  
most evil actions. I managed a weak smile as I remembered that it was my  
son Wesley, who's now grown, who'd led Data out of sickbay and to a  
holodeck to keep him occupied. Luckily, both Q and Geordi had survived and  
recovered. Q had vanished and who knows where he is now.  
  
"But, hey, in two more days, this conference is over and we'll head back  
home to our current positions," Deanna stroked my shoulder and lay back  
down. "It'll be all right, Bev, it will." She started to drift off  
already. I headed back to my own bed. More thoughts tumbled through my  
head as I lay back down. I saw a lot of this same crap even at my current  
position as head physician of the Interplanetary Relations Institute. It  
was wearing on my nerves. As I drifted back to sleep, I found myself  
seriously toying with the idea of retiring early and setting up my own  
practice.  
  
Let me know what you all think; more coming!  



	2. 2

BEVERLY:  
  
Mid-morning break of our last meeting. I leaned back against the frozen  
pole, feeling tired. I couldn't wait until tonight when it was all over  
and we could head home. Out of half-open eyes, I watched. Will and Worf  
wrestle with a group of other Klingons and half-Klingons. Some of the  
actual subject matter of the meeting itself was interesting. But the  
politics of it all wasn't amusing.  
  
"...just looka that cloud moving over like a huge rhino..." Geordi  
whistled.  
  
"It's snow," Worf said in a superior voice.  
  
"Duhhh, it's December, whaddya expect?" Will laughed.  
  
"Is it logical to assume that December always brings snow?" Data asked.  
  
"No, it's irrational and crazy, a delusion thought up by nuts and bolts  
overload!" Will howled, then poked Worf and they both laughed. I blew out  
my breath, wishing all this was over.  
  
"Heyy..." someone tapped my shoulder and I opened my eyes to see Deanna  
leaning close. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I guess when today's over I will be," I whispered. I realized that I was  
slumped over and tried to stand up straight and attempted to force a smile  
with limited success.  
  
"Beverly looks like her last friend died over there..." Worf pointed.  
  
"She ALWAYS does," Will snickered. "She tries a smile, her face would  
crack."  
  
"That's enough, you two..." I groaned, rolling my eyes.  
  
"Just kidding," Will grinned.  
  
"Beverly does not 'kid'," Data put in. "She has a serious personality."  
  
"We all know that, Data," Worf heaved a gusty sigh. I leaned back on the  
pole and let my eyes droop again. Tonight I'd be back home and Monday I'd  
be back at my regular job. Hanukkah the following week. I'd see my son,  
Wesley, my daughter-in-law, Alexa, my granddaughter, and my college-age  
niece, Xeola. I smiled as I also thought about my new granddaughter,  
Anne. She's a few months old now and is one beautiful baby. Wesley's now  
an engineer and Alexa is a dentist. They both love being new parents.  
Thinking about them made me a little more energetic and once our break  
ended, I headed back in, feeling less lethargic.  
  
  
More again soon! 


End file.
